Words

Job 1:1: 2: 1-10 v 10 “He said to her “You are talking like a Godless fool. We accept the good that God gives us. Shouldn’t we accept the bad?”  Through all this Jobs lips did not say a sinful word.

In the book of Job, we learn in the opening sentence that he was a man of integrity: He was decent, he feared God and stayed away from evil. Satan was trying to turn Job away from God. Satan’s theory was that Job would curse God if “you strike his flesh and bones”.

As part of my job, I have seen many people undergoing personal suffering as the challenges of living with cancer and its treatment changed their bodies. They lost their hair, had painful feet and hands, where so very tired that getting dressed was exhausting. I also saw great courage, unshakable belief in a powerful God and an unwavering ability to help others despite their own personal challenges.

Life can be hard with all sorts of physical challenges. The gospels are full of stories of disciples experiencing physical challenges too. Belief in God is not a guarantee of a perfect life but this passage from Job answers part of the question about suffering. Is the glass half empty or half full? Do you want to give up on God or be like Job, not say a sinful word against God despite physical challenges?

Certainly having the privilege to work with people with this kind of faith has grown my own faith, and talking with them has been a joy, as God can be found in suffering as well as the good things in life. Our words are important so make a point today of using words of encouragement to others and see for yourself the joy that comes as you reach out to others despite how you are feeling.

Prayer: Holy Father we thank you for the joy in our lives despite the physical challenges that we encounter. Amen